STATION PROBE
Residents evacuated from their homes as bomb squad probe ‘suspicious package’ at Portsmouth station
RESIDENTS have been evacuated from their homes after a "suspicious package" was found at a train station.
A bomb disposal unit have created a 100-metre cordon around Portsmouth and Southsea railway station in Hampshire.
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British Transport Police (BTP) has said accommodation and businesses are being evacuated as a "precaution".
The station, housed in a Grade II listed building, is the main railway station of the city, and is based a short distance from a busy shopping hub.
Emergency services are at the scene investigating the item with a bomb disposal robot after the alarm was raised at 7.40am.
Members of the public are now being blocked from using certain routes in the area, causing wider disruption across the city.
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A BTP spokesman confirmed a package at the station has been deemed as "suspicious".
They added that an 'explosive disposal unit' is currently at the scene, along with police and fire engines.
A statement continued: "Officers are currently responding to reports of a suspicious item at Portsmouth and Southsea station.
"The station is closed, and cordons are in place to allow specialist officers to assess the item.
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"Thank you for your patience while we respond to this incident."
South Western Railway has said trains may be cancelled, and disruptions are expected until 2pm.
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